Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM)
Movement of Holy Warriors

Description

The HUM is an Islamic militant group based in Pakistan that operates primarily
in Kashmir. It is politically aligned with the radical political party, Jamiat
Ulema-i-Islam Fazlur Rehman faction (JUI-F). Longtime leader of the group,
Fazlur Rehman Khalil, in mid-February 2000 stepped down as HUM emir,
turning the reins over to the popular Kashmiri commander and his second in
command, Farooq Kashmiri. Khalil, who has been linked to Usama Bin Ladin
and signed his fatwa in February 1998 calling for attacks on US and Western
interests, assumed the position of HUM Secretary General. HUM operated
terrorist training camps in eastern Afghanistan until Coalition airstrikes
destroyed them during fall 2001. In 2003, HUM began using the name Jamiat
ul-Ansar (JUA), and Pakistan banned the successor JUA in November 2003.

Activities

Has conducted a number of operations against Indian troops and civilian
targets in Kashmir. Linked to the Kashmiri militant group al-Faran that
kidnapped five Western tourists in Kashmir in July 1995; one was killed in
August 1995, and the other four reportedly were killed in December of the
same year. The HUM is responsible for the hijacking of an Indian airliner on 24
December 1999, which resulted in the release of Masood Azharóan
important leader in the former Harakat ul-Ansar imprisoned by the Indians in
1994óand Ahmed Omar Sheik, who was convicted of the abduction/murder
in January-February 2002 of US journalist Daniel Pearl.

Strength

Has several hundred armed supporters located in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan,
and Indiaís southern Kashmir and Doda regions and in the Kashmir valley.
Supporters are mostly Pakistanis and Kashmiris and also include Afghans
and Arab veterans of the Afghan war. Uses light and heavy machineguns,
assault rifles, mortars, explosives, and rockets. HUM lost a significant share
of its membership in defections to the Jaish-i-Mohammed (JIM) in 2000.

Location/Area of Operation

Based in Muzaffarabad, Rawalpindi, and several other towns in Pakistan, but
members conduct insurgent and terrorist activities primarily in Kashmir. The
HUM trained its militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

External Aid

Collects donations from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf and Islamic states and
from Pakistanis and Kashmiris. The HUMís financial collection methods also
include soliciting donations from magazine ads and pamphlets. The sources
and amount of HUMís military funding are unknown. In anticipation of asset
seizures in 2001 by the Pakistani Government, the HUM withdrew funds from
bank accounts and invested in legal businesses, such as commodity trading,
real estate, and production of consumer goods. Its fundraising in Pakistan has
been constrained since the government clampdown on extremist groups and
freezing of terrorist assets. The United States announced the addition of HUM
to the Foreign Terrorist Organization list in 1997.